Britain gives Russia ultimatum to explain nerve agent claim

Britain has given Moscow two days to explain the alleged use of a military-grade nerve agent it claims came from Russia to poison ex-double agent Sergei Skripal. PM Theresa May says it’s “highly likely” Moscow was responsible.

She alleges the attack was either a direct act by the Russian state on Britain, or the Russian government allowed its nerve agent ‘Novichok’ to get into the wrong hands. “The government has concluded that it is highly likely that Russia was responsible,” she said.

“Either this was a direct act by the Russian State against our country, or the Russian government lost control of this potentially catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed it to get into the hands of others.”